The Village Square: November 9, 2015

As the days turn colder, I find myself craving hot bowls of pho and board games on the tabletop. Whether it’s the steam from the soup or the steam coming out of my ears after an lucky Dead of Winter exposure roll, both are great ways to keep warm during the last months of the year.

Here’s the latest from the cardboard community. Tweet me @RuelGaviola.

My Money, You Shall TakeFantasy Flight Games announced the release of Star Wars: Rebellion for the first quarter of January 2016. I did my best not to salivate on the photo above.

The Next Big ThingHasbro announced the finalists in its crowdfunding party game challenge. The five game makers are competing for $10,000 and a trip to the Hasbro headquarters.

Triple Word ScoringThe Scrabble World Championship is underway in Perth, Australia. With 260 players vying for the crown, they have over a quarter of a million words to choose from, including newly added ones like twerking.

E-CommerceRetro board games are outselling video games on ebay, according to this report.

Never Too LateOne of the great things about the board game hobby is that it’s something that will last a lifetime. A former submarine commander is living proof, as the game he invented 40 years ago was finally published.

Go Facebook GoCan a social media giant solve the ancient game of Go? Facebook’s deep learning project is tackling the game, along with plenty of other challenges for artificial intelligence.

Final Week to GiveWe’re in the final week of auctioning games to benefit the Jack Vasel Memorial Fund, which benefits gamers who have suffered a personal hardship. Click here for more info.